We Need More Than Just Bill Nye To Speak Up About Wearing Masks

Bill Nye, famous for being a science guy, is now the latest celebrity calling for citizens to wear a damn mask. Last night he posted two videos on TikTok stating, "This is a matter literally of life and death." Below is the first video where he conducts a breathing experiment with a mask and a candle. You know it's serious because Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeted it out without him resorting to any performative banter with his brother on CNN.

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Sorry, wrong clip. Here's Bill Nye:

It's a wonderful endorsement for scarves above all else, because while the demonstration seemed great (yeah, masks do restrict airflow, thereby protecting us from spreading the disease) you have to wonder who's taking this message in. If you're already listening to someone who branded themselves as "the science guy" on a kids show in the '90s then you're probably already fairly open to hearing about science. How much of Trump's base, on the other hand, do you think is responsive to this:

Don't get me wrong. If Bill Nye convinces one person to wear a mask who wasn't wearing one before, then these TikToks have been worth it. But the person we really need spreading this message isn't a science guy. It's a Republican guy. Because right now the science guys have been spreading the message for months and yet we still have events happening like this:

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Thank you for your service Bill Nye, and thank you to celebrities like Tom Hanks, and Mindy Kaling, and Reese Witherspoon who have also been urging others to wear a mask. But I'm afraid that until this message is no longer politicized, the science behind your TikTok videos are going to come off about as well as the science behind this guy's flat earth videos.

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Top Image: @billnye Tiktok